Who owned the pub?
Some of Coronation Street’s best-loved characters have owned the Rovers Return, the pub that has been at the heart of the series. Here are the most notable.
1960-1984 – Jack and Annie Walker (Arthur Leslie and Doris Speed)
Jack was a down-to-earth publican who was well liked while Annie was unashamedly a snob. Jack died in 1970 and Annie ran the pub alone for the next 14 years.
1984-1995 – Bet and Alec Gilroy (Julie Goodyear and Roy Barraclough)
Bet Lynch was arguably the Rovers’ most popular barmaid. She was appointed Rovers Return manager after the pub regulars signed a petition supporting her. She later married Alec Gilroy and the pair ran the pub together.
1995-1998 – Jack and Vera Duckworth (Bill Tarmey and Liz Dawn)
Jack and Vera had long struggled to make ends meet but when they inherited money, they decided to invest it into the Rovers. The pair finally felt they had made something of their lives.
1998-2000 – Natalie Barnes (Denise Welch)
Natalie is best remembered for her affair with Kevin Webster and her later marriage to Des Barnes. She left the Street after Des was murdered.
2000-20001 – Fred Elliott, Mike Baldwin and Duggie Ferguson (John Savident, Johnny Briggs, John Bowe) 2002-2006 – Fred Elliott
The three businessmen joined forces to buy the pub to keep it in local hands. Fred later took sole ownership and put Shelley Unwin in charge.
2006-2011 – Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson)
On the death of Fred Elliott, the Rovers went to his son Ashley who sold it to Steve McDonald. Because of Steve’s criminal record, his mum Liz became landlady and licensee.
2011-2013 – Stella Price (Michelle Collins)
When Liz left the Street, Steve decided to focus on his taxi firm StreetCars and sold the Rovers to Stella Price. She had a tumultuous reign in charge which culminated in her cheating husband Karl Munro setting fire to the pub and killing his
former lover Sunita Alahan.
2013-2017 – Steve McDonald and Liz McDonald (Bev Callard)
Steve McDonald decided to buy back the Rovers Return and enlisted help from his mum Liz to raise the necessary funds.